Cappuccino Pancakes

I start my mornings, like so many people, with a cup of coffee. I love coffee in most forms and I’ll take a latte, an espresso or a regular cup of drip. I’ll also trade in that cup o’ joe for a plate of Cappuccino Pancakes. This is a simple pancake recipe that is spiked with just enough coffee to give it a good coffee flavor, while still allowing you to get a hint of the milk and buttermilk that normally lend their flavor to a batch of pancakes. It may not have steamed milk on top of it, like a real cappuccino, but it still seems to capture that cappuccino flavor in pancake form.

Milk and buttermilk really give these pancakes their body and nice, fluffy texture. Adding regular coffee tends to water down a batter and leave you with thinner and generally less satisfying pancakes. So, to get the coffee flavor into this recipe, I used instant espresso powder. Instant espresso powder has a wonderfully concentrated flavor and is easy to incorporate into a recipe. Something like Starbucks Via will also incorporate very well. Instant coffee powder will work, but the flavor isn’t quite as strong as with the other options, so use a little extra.

The pancakes are very slightly sweetened with maple syrup and have a good balance of coffee and buttermilk flavors. You can top them with butter and syrup or deck them out with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Clearly, I went the chocolate sauce route and would highly recommend it if you don’t mind something sweet for breakfast. I’ll advocate topping your regular cup of coffee off with whipped cream and chocolate sauce, too.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, buttermilk, milk, vanilla and eggs until well combined.
In a small bowl, dissolve instant espresso powder in hot water, then whisk into the rest of the wet ingredients. Pour the coffee mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until batter is just combined. It is ok for the batter to be slightly lumpy.
Heat a skillet or griddle over high heat until a drop of water placed on it skitters around the surface. It’s too hot if the water evaporates instantly on contact. Drop by large spoonfuls (to make desired size) into the preheated pan and cook until golden on both sides, turning once. Serve immediately.